


Day 5 - Nightmare

by GemmaRose



Series: OC-tober [1]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Empurata, Gen, Nightmares, Platonic Cuddling, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26845732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: Gemrise knows things. Was forged knowing things. Things which were, things which are, and things which have not yet come to pass. Things whichmustcome to pass, no matter how horrific they will be.
Relationships: Hot Rod (Transformers) & Original Character(s)
Series: OC-tober [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1958275
Kudos: 5





	Day 5 - Nightmare

The city was burning. Gemrise ran, vents straining for cool air which was nowhere to be found, claws locked around familiar wrists with a third frame slumped heavy on their back. One of the towering monsters raised its pede, and they lurched sideways, tumbling down a stretch of road which hadn’t been slanted before, shouldn’t be slanted, couldn’t be unless- unless the phase-charge had gone off. Unless they were too late.

The explosions all around grew louder, not coming from the vamparc ribbons sucking their city dry but from the sewers and basements, the bombs they’d helped Hot Rod plant at strategic points. The speedster in their arms trembled, field cold and frame so hot it hurt to hold him. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Gemrise held him tighter, curling around him. He would live. He had to live, had to survive, had to become- flame burst from Hot Rod with an anguished wail that melded with the explosions ringing in their audials, and Gemrise sat bolt upright, fans roaring and plating crackling with lingering fear.

“Gem?” Telltale mumbled, pushing himself up on one arm and squinting blearily at them.

“Sorry.” they apologized softly, lying back down and trying to calm their field, to enmesh it with their friends’ again. “Bad dream.” they fixed their singular optic on the ceiling, and listened to the soft sounds of the frames on either side of them as they counted rivets on the overhead panels. Telltale’s vents were rattling again, just slightly, his filters clogged but not yet bad enough to justify the cost of replacing them. Hot Rod, tucked close on their other side and hugging their legs, ran smoother save for the way his engine coughed at odd intervals, the sound as spark-wrenching as the little whimpers which accompanied it when he wasn’t awake to stifle them.

“Wanna talk about it?” Telltale asked a while later, neither of them having managed to get back to recharge.

“Same as always.” Gemrise murmured, careful not to wake Hot Rod. “Nyon in flames, the three of us caught in the middle of it.” they looked down the length of their frame at Hot Rod, recharging peacefully, and wondered if he would hate them when the truth came out. If he would understand that foresight was as much a curse as it was a gift, that trying to change the story too much, too soon could well destroy what advantage they were able to provide. “Zeta will destroy us all.”

“We won’t let him.” Telltale swore, grasping their claw firmly. “Rods and I would sooner die than see Nyon destroyed.”

Gemrise was, for once, glad they no longer had a face. They weren’t sure they would’ve been able to suppress a bitter smile at the dramatic irony of his words. “I know.” they lied, and tried not to think about the future they knew must come to pass. Nyon would have to burn to stop Zeta’s war machines, and Hot Rod had to be the one to pull the trigger. Hot Rod had to be the one to make that choice, so that Rodimus Prime would know himself capable of making the calls Optimus could not.

“C’mon.” Telltale stroked their arm, fingers teasing the edge of their access port cover. “I’m beat enough for the both of us. Lemme bring you back down.”

Gemrise nodded, and let Telltale unspool a cable to make a reciprocal connection. True to his word, he was barely online, and Gemrise put up only cursory walls to keep him from peeking at their wealth of foreknowledge. Telltale wouldn’t’ve been able to do any more with it than they, and the burden of foreknowledge was not one which eased for sharing. On his end, Telltale blocked a few more private memories with Fritt, but mostly he just pushed his exhaustion at them, reminding Gemrise just how tired they also were.

Hot Rod hugged their leg tighter, cuddling closer in his sleep, and Gemrise lowered a hand to rest on the back of his thigh. They would see him survive, no matter what it took. They would protect him, and stand by him, and see him grow into the first True Prime Cybertron had seen in millions of years.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies to any not-logged-in readers, but due to an ex who refuses to leave me alone I have had to disable anon comments. Kudos are still open though, and if you want to scream (or would like me to write a fic for you) come check me out on Pillowfort! No account required to get my discord, and I'm always happy to chat. [[Link](https://www.pillowfort.social/GemmaRose)]


End file.
